Cabinet assembly for water coolers



Feb. 6, 1962 c. N. SNAPP, JR

CABINET ASSEMBLY FOR WATER COOLERS Filed June 22. 1959 1 M .RL/ m, E 1.

m5 w s k 1 m 6 J ZZZ United States Patent 3,020,112 CABINET ASSEMBLY FORWATER COOLERS Charles N. Snapp, Jr., Birmingham, Mich, assignor toTemprite Products Corporation, Birmingham, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Filed June-22, 1959, Ser. No. 821,887

- 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-280) This invention relates generally to.self-contained cabinet water dispensers such as water coolers and hotwater dispensers andmore particularly to an improved cabinet assemblyfor water dispensers of this type. -Water dispensers of .theself-contained cabinet type usually include a cabinet having side wallsand a top or cover. In the bubblertype cooler, which includes a nozzleunit for projecting a stream of cool water from which the user candrink, the cabinet top is a receptor basin into which waste water fallsand which is connected to a drain conduit. In a bottle cooler, the topis a sup port for acontainer of water to be cooled, In both types, thecabinet is provided to support and house the refrigeration mechanism andthe other parts of the cooler. in the case of a hot water dispenser or acombination hot and cold water dispenser, a water heater is supportedwithin the cabinet. The particular water dispenser to which thisinvention relates consists of a wrap-around cabinet wall element whichis mounted for sliding up and down movement on an upright supportingframe. The wall element is assembled with the frame by sliding itdownwardly to a position on the frame in which it encloses the front andsides of the dispenser. The cabinet top member is mounted on the upperend of the wrap-around wall element and in the past has been secured tothe wall element by means such as spot welding. However, sincereplacement of either the wraparound wall element or the top member maybe required, without requiring replacement of both, an assembly in whichthe top member is separated from the wall element is desirable. Theobject of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved cabinetassembly for water dispensers which includes a wrap-around wall elementthat is removably assembled with the cabinet top and can be quicklydetached from it.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cabinet assembly forwater dispensers which is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, and which can be quickly assembled and taken apart.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, the appendedclaims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a water cooler provided with thecabinet assembly of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the water cooler of this invention,showing the wrap-around wall element Ln a position to be assembled withthe cabinet top mem- FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective viewof the wrap-around wall element and the top member in the cabinetassembly of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along the line 4-4 in FIG.2 omitting the refrigerating apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view looking substantially along theline 5-5 in FIG. 3.

With reference to the drawing, the cabinet assembly of this invention,indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 incorporated in awater cooler 12 of the selfcontained bubbler type. However, as pointedout above, this invention is applicable to water dispensers of othertypes and is shown in connection with a bubbler type 3,020,] 12 PatentedFeb. 6, 1962 cooler only for purposes of illustration. The water cooler12 includes an upright supporting frame 14 having a pair of rear legs 16which extend the full height of the frame 14 and of an angle-shape asshown in FIG. 4. A conventional refrigeration mechanism 18 whichincludes a condenser 20 is supported on the frame 14.

The cabinet assembly 10 comprises a sheet metal wraparound wall element22 which forms the cabinet front wall portions 22a and side wallportions 22b and 220. Each of the side wall portions 22b and 220terminates along its rear edge in a return bent U-shape rim or bead 24which provides a guideway 26 of a size and shape to slidably receive therearwardly projecting flange 28 of a frame leg 16. The wrap-around wallelement 22 is assembled with the frame 14 by initially positioning thewall element 22 above the frame 14 with the guideways 26 in verticalalignment with the leg flanges-28. The wrap-around wall element 22 isthen moved downwardly so that the leg flanges 28 are slidably receivedinthe guideways 26.

The cabinet assembly 10 also includes a receptor member 30 whichconsists of a formed sheet metal body 32 having a depending skirt 34 ofa shape to fit around the upper end of the wrap-around wall element 22.The receptor member 30 supports a bubbler unit 38 and is formed with adrain opening 36 which communicates with a drain tube (not shown)mounted on the frame 14 and communicating with a discharge line 47adapted to be connected to a conventional plumbing drainage system.

As shown in FIG. 3, the depending skirt 34 is provided on its front wall41 with a pair of horizontally spaced pins 40 which are secured bywelding or the like tothe skirt 34 and project inwardly. A similar pin42 is secured to each side wall 43 of the skirt 34 adjacent the rearwall 45 thereof. These pins 40 and 42 are located so that they can bepositioned in horizontal alignment with corresponding openings or slots44 and 46, respectively, in the front wall 22a and the side walls 22band 22a of the wrap-around wall element 22. The pins 42 extend inwardlytoward each other a distance such that the side walls 22b and 22s cannotfit between the inner ends of the pins 42 unless the walls 22b and 220are bent inwardly toward each other as shown in FIG. 2.

In the assembly of the receptor member 30 with the wrap-around wallelement 22, the wall element 22 is first manipulated on the frame 14 sothat about one-fourth or more of the wall element extends above the topend of the frame 14 as shown in FIG. 2. This arrangement permits thefree or beaded ends or edges of the side walls 22b and 220 to be bent orflexed inwardly toward each other a distance necessary to move the slots46 to positions between the pins 42. The receptor is positioned abovethe wall element 22 and the pins 40 are extended through the openings44. The free edges of the side walls 2% and 220 are then moved inwardlytoward each other as illustrated in FIG. 2 to position the openings46inwardly of and in horizontal alignment with the pins 42.

On release of the rims 24, the side walls 22b and22c move outwardlyagainst the sides of the skirt 34 on the receptor 30 and the pins 42extend through the slots 46. The assembled wall element 22 and receptormember 30 can then be moved downwardly on the frame 14, with the legflanges 28 sliding in the guideways 26, to a position in which thecabinet assembly 10 fully encloses the working parts of the water cooler12. In this position, the drain opening 36 communicates with the draintube in the cooler 12.

In the event the cooler 12 requires service, the cabinet assembly 10 canbe readily manipulated so that only the receptor 30 is removed. This isaccomplished by sliding the wrap-around wall element 22 upwardly on theframe 14 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2, followed by springing orflexing the rear portions of the side walls 22b and 220 inwardly toposition the openings 46 inwardly of the pins 42 so that the back sideof the receptor can be moved upwardly to lift the pins 42 above the wallelement 22. The receptor is then readily removed by moving it forwardlyto move the pins 40 'out of the openings 44. Furthermore, if thereceptor 30 should become damaged so that it requires replacement orrepair, it can be removed without removing the entire cabinet from theframe 14 and replacement of either the wrap-around wall element 12 orthe receptor 30 can be accomplished without having to replace the other.

It will be understood that the specific construction of the improvedcabinet assembly for water coolers which substantially the same heightas said frame when fully assembled therewith; a rigid top member adaptedto be assembled upon the upper end of said frame and having 2. dependingskirt adapted to overlie a portion of at least two of said three sidesof said wall element; and means for removably securing said top memberto said frame including first inwardly directed fixed pin means on theportion of said skirt overlying one of said sides, second similarinwardly directed fixed pin means on the portion of said skirt overlyinganother of said sides, and means in said wall element defining openingsin the upper end thereof adapted to receive said pin means to lock saidtop member on said frame, whereby assembly may be effected bypositioning said wall element in sliding engagement with said frame sothat the top thereof is higher than the top of said frame, bendinginwardly the upper portion of at least one of the sides of said wallelement having said openings therein, placing said top member on the topof said wall element and then allowing the deflected side to return toits normal position with said pin means positioned in said opening, andsliding said wall element with said top member locked thereto down saidframe into a fully assembled position therewith wherein said top memberis positioned at the top of said frame.

2. A self-contained cabinet water dispenser, comprising: an uprightrigid frame; an outer resiliently bendable wrap-around wall elementcovering the front and at least two sides of said frame and slidablysupported thereon for up and down movement only thereon, said wallelement being substantially the same height as said frame when fullyassembled therewith; a rigid top member adapted to be assembled upon theupper end of said frame and having a depending skirt adapted to overliea portion of said front and two sides of said wall element; and meansfor removably securing said top member to said frame including similarinwardly directed fixed pin means on the portion of said skirt overlyingsaid front and each portion overlying one of said two sides, and meansin said wall element defining openings in the upper end thereof adaptedto receive said pin means to lock said top member on said frame, thelength of the pin means receivable in said openings in said sides beingsuch that the top of said wall element must be raised above the top ofsaid rigid frame and the upper side portions thereof deflected inwardlybefore said pin means can be positioned in said openings, locking beingeffected by allowing said deflected sides to return to their normalposition and then sliding said wall element downwardly into a fullyassembled position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,698,252 Ashe Jan. 8, 1929 2,897,035 Dorsey July 28, 1959 FOREIGNPATENTS 558,312 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1943

